Punta del Este E-Prix
Playa Brava Beach Circuit | timesheld = 3 | firstrace = 2014 Punta del Este ePrix | lastrace = 2018 Punta del Este E-Prix | cityflag = MLD | natflag = URU | fastestlap = 1:16.811 | eventname = 2018 CBMM Niobium Punta del Este E-Prix | natfld = ARG | fldriver = José María López | qualifying = 1:16.806 | natqd = FRA | qdriver = Jean-Éric Vergne | natwd = FRA | wdriver = Jean-Éric Vergne | natsecond = BRA | second = Lucas di Grassi | natthird = GBR | third = Sam Bird}} The Punta del Este E-Prix is a former motorsport event staged at the Playa Brava Beach Circuit in Punta del Este, Uruguay, that served as a round of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.'Circuit guide: Punta del Este', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 2014), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/calendar/2014-punta-del-este/punta-del-este-circuit.aspx, (Accessed 09/07/2015) A three time host of the FE Championship, Punta del Este was a semi-regular host of the Series, only to be seemingly dropped permanently after the 2017/18 season.'Buemi back on top', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 19/12/2015), http://fiaformulae.com/en/news/2015/december/buemi-back-on-top.aspx, (Accessed 25/12/2015) Indeed, having missed out on a race in the 2016/17 season due to funding concerns, the'Punta del Este E-Prix' would be restored to the FE calendar for the 2017/18 Championship.'Formula E returns to Punta del Este', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 06/12/2017), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2017/december/formula-e-returns-to-punta-del-este/, (Accessed 06/12/2017) This was a result of the cancellation of the proposed São Paulo E-Prix, with Punta del Este stepping in to fill the gap in the 2017/18 calendar on 17 March 2018. City History Punta del Este was promoted to ciudad (city) status in the 1950s, from originally being a Spanish settlement in the 16th century.'Punta del Este', wikipedia.org, (WikiMedia, 02/07/2015), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punta_del_Este, (Accessed 09/07/2015) Recent history has seen Punta del Este host an American summit in 1968, before hosting the Uruguay round of talks that ultimately ended up forming the World Trade Organisation. Formula E History Punta del Este was a founding city for the Formula E Championship, having been included in both the provisional and official calendars for the inaugural 2014/15 season. Using a modified version of the World Touring Car Championship circuit in the city, the track would become notable for the sand blown across the tarmac. After returning for 2015/16, the Punta del Este round was dropped for 2016/17.'From Hong Kong to New York: FIVE NEW CITIES FOR THIRD FORMULA E SEASON', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 02/07/2016), http://fiaformulae.com/en/news/2016/july/from-hong-kong-to-new-york/, (Accessed 02/07/2016) The circuit would also host the only in-season tests during the first two Formula E seasons. Circuit History Sébastien Buemi claimed his first victory in Formula E by taking the honours in the 2014 Punta del Este ePrix, beating Brazilian duo Nelson Piquet, Jr. and Lucas di Grassi.'Brilliant Buemi wins in Punta del Este', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 13/12/2014), http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/december/brilliant-buemi-wins-in-punta-del-este.aspx, (Accessed 26/04/2015) Qualifying had already produced a shock when Jean-Eric Vergne claimed pole position despite never having driven the SRT_01E before the meeting. The second edition of the race saw Buemi on top once again, as he recovered from a poor quali result to win for the fifth time in Formula E history. The circuit was marginally modified for its return in 2018, with most of the chicanes re-shaped to allow slightly more run-off area. Records A full list of records for the is outlined below, including a list of race winners. Winners Below is a list of all of the winners of the : References Videos and Images: * ABB Formula E, 'There's six weeks until the #PuntaePrix on December 19', twitter.com, (Twitter: FIA Formula E, 08/11/2015), https://twitter.com/fiaformulae/status/663280636354949122, (Accessed 07/10/2019) References: Category:Punta del Este ePrix